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You are here: Home / Mainly Marathons / TOTR: Time management while marathon training

TOTR: Time management while marathon training

April 7, 2015 by MCM Mama 35 Comments

Endurance training takes a lot of time, especially if you are not one of the Speedy McSpeedersons. Half marathons, marathons, any of the longer triathlons…  They all take a lot of time and energy. That’s why today’s Tuesdays on the Run topic is “time management while race training.”  Share your tips and experiences with Patty, April, and me.  And if you have nothing to say no this topic, feel free to link up any running related topic. Also, please welcome Janell from Run With No Regrets, our guest host this week!

We all know I’m kind of crazy. I have this thing for not just one endurance event, but multiple in a row. Some of that is because I’ve found that my superpower is recovery, some of it is because I like challenges.  Just for the record, choosing to do two FULL marathons in two days after not having run a marathon in 5 years? Yeah, that pretty much takes the cake for crazy.  Also? It takes a heck of a lot of time! So, here’s how I manage to get through marathon training and stay sane. Ok, stay the same level of crazy I was before I started.

 

Time Management during Marathon Training

  1. Your calendar is your friend. Plot your training plan and find the landmines. I can guarantee you that you’ll find weeks where your training and life are just not compatible. Figure out which weeks you can move around without compromising your plan. I like to plan an 18 week training plan over a 20 week period. This allows me a little flex when life explodes.
  2. Plan each week only a week or two in advance. With one kid playing in two soccer leagues, the other playing in a school orchestra and a youth orchestra, a husband who is training for a multi-day bike ride, and oh, that job thing, life around here is pretty crazy. Each week, I check my non-negotiable work meetings and client meetings and then work with Beer Geek to figure out who is chauffeuring kids to what and when are workouts happening. I do have the bonus of not working full time plus having a super flexible boss.  (Seriously, I told him not to expect much of me this Friday as I’ll be running 20 miles and then I’m stupid afterwards. Can you say that to your boss? LOL)
  3. Use shorter run and cross training days to your advantage. Cook, clean, file your taxes, whatever. Just do what you need to do to make the long run days easier.
  4. Run “what you can when you can”. (Hat tip to Carla Birnberg) Run during lunch hours, run during your kid’s sports practice, get up early, stay up late, etc. Split up a long run if there is no other way to get it in.
  5. It takes a village. Take any offers for help that you get. Enlist the aid of your children/spouse/a maid service/whatever to get things done. Learn to use that crockpot at the back of the cupboard.
  6. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Maybe your house won’t be as clean as you’d like. Maybe you’ll eat simpler meals for a few months. Maybe your social life will suffer for a while (if you run with friends it might actually be better…)
  7. Accept that your training won’t go perfectly and some weeks you might come up short. Don’t beat yourself up. A few missed runs over the course of a multi-month training plan are not going to kill your training. Just don’t miss too many or you’ll be undertrained. (Been there, done that.) Or try to cram a missed run into an already packed schedule or your might end up injured. (Been there, done that too.)
  8. Remember that this is supposed to be fun and you chose to do it. Enjoy the training process.  You’ll spend a lot more time in training than you will racing, so you’ll want to find the joy in the day to day runs.

What tips do you have that I haven’t covered? I’m always looking at ways to help keep all the balls in the air!

[A version of this post first appeared as a guest post at You Signed Up For What??]

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Comments

  1. Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home says

    April 7, 2015 at 6:44 am

    I couldn’t have said it better myself! Great advice.
    Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…No time to train?My Profile

    Reply
  2. Coco (@Got2Run4Me) says

    April 7, 2015 at 7:06 am

    #8 is so important! I laugh because my tip just wouldn’t work well for you!
    Coco (@Got2Run4Me) recently posted…Living A Fear Based LifeMy Profile

    Reply
    • MCM Mama says

      April 7, 2015 at 7:15 am

      Ha, yeah, I’m so not a morning person. I don’t know what I’ll do if I ever end up in a traditional 9-5 job again…

      Reply
  3. Christy@ My Dirt Road Anthem says

    April 7, 2015 at 7:22 am

    I am not currently training for any marathons, I mostly do halfs. I do my long runs during the week when the kids are in school. I only work three days a week. I find this helps so much! Lots of great tips!
    Christy@ My Dirt Road Anthem recently posted…The Yoga Collective Review and GiveawayMy Profile

    Reply
  4. Lesley says

    April 7, 2015 at 8:37 am

    All good points. I don’t recover as quickly, but I also need a mental break. I get my long runs done early on Saturdays, so once the race is done, I like to sleep in and be a slug.
    Lesley recently posted…Seasonal 5K’sMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Gretchen | Gretchruns says

    April 7, 2015 at 8:50 am

    Great tips! #7 is something i’ve always had a hard time with in the past- if I missed a workout or two I would freak out and think my whole plan was a waste. Now I try to chill a bit and don’t worry quite as much. I loved this topic 🙂
    Gretchen | Gretchruns recently posted…Six Tips: Training + Time ManagementMy Profile

    Reply
  6. Marcia says

    April 7, 2015 at 9:10 am

    My saving grace for marathon training has always been having my workouts out of the way by 7am. That doesn’t work for really long runs but for me earlier means less chance of life getting in the way.
    Marcia recently posted…A Runner in Tri ClothingMy Profile

    Reply
  7. Kathryn @ Dancing to Running says

    April 7, 2015 at 9:18 am

    Maintaining flexibility with a training plan is so important. You never know when life will get in the way of training, or if you’ll get sick or if your body will need an extra rest day.
    Kathryn @ Dancing to Running recently posted…2015 Shamrock Half Marathon RecapMy Profile

    Reply
  8. Krystal says

    April 7, 2015 at 9:22 am

    All I can say is wow! I give you major kudos for not only running one marathon but two in such a short amount of time.

    #7 is spot on! Overall great advice!

    Thanks for hosting 🙂
    Krystal recently posted…Time Management While Race TrainingMy Profile

    Reply
  9. Annmarie says

    April 7, 2015 at 9:51 am

    These are great tips! Love the idea of using your shorter days to catch up on life things 🙂
    Annmarie recently posted…ClubsGalore Gourmet Subscription Box + DiscountMy Profile

    Reply
  10. Leana says

    April 7, 2015 at 9:55 am

    I really like your tip about not sweating the small stuff. I have just come to accept that my house is not going to be as clean as I would like and that’s okay.
    Leana recently posted…Time Management and Triathlon TrainingMy Profile

    Reply
  11. Diatta @ Femme Fitale Fit Club says

    April 7, 2015 at 10:33 am

    I admire anyone who can run a marathon let alone train for one. It is serious business and takes discipline and tenacity. I salute all of you. Thanks for the tips – even though I do not see a marathon in my near future, one day perhaps and now I know what to do to make that happen when it comes to training.
    Diatta @ Femme Fitale Fit Club recently posted…Rock Your Core April Abs Challenge – Week 2My Profile

    Reply
  12. DIStherapy says

    April 7, 2015 at 11:23 am

    I’m still dreaming of that “Marathon at 60,” so I’ve pinned this!!! I especially like the idea of breaking up the long runs if needed; sounds like it would remove some of the guilt factor that so often leads to (my) failure. Thanks!
    DIStherapy recently posted…Black Widow & The Blustery Day Or The Inaugural Avengers Super Heroes Half MarathonMy Profile

    Reply
  13. Artney @ My Pretty Brown says

    April 7, 2015 at 12:20 pm

    Great tips! I will refer to these on my next go round to make sure I’m staying on track! I love #8…that’s the only reason I do it (or at least that’s what I convince myself). 🙂
    Artney @ My Pretty Brown recently posted…The Hills Return + Jeff Galloway Tips: Running Injury EditionMy Profile

    Reply
    • MCM Mama says

      April 7, 2015 at 2:17 pm

      LOL, yeah, it doesn’t always feel fun, but the accomplishment feels awesome.

      Reply
  14. Meranda@Fairytalesandfitness says

    April 7, 2015 at 12:23 pm

    I was so much more “organized” when I was marathon training. Now, not so much!

    Reply
  15. Nicole @ Fitful Focus says

    April 7, 2015 at 3:26 pm

    All great tips! Marathon training really can take over your life if you let it. I’ve only trained for one, but all my weekend plans revolved around my long run. It can definitely get crazy town!
    Nicole @ Fitful Focus recently posted…Which Food Must Go?My Profile

    Reply
  16. Tricia @ MissSippiPiddlin says

    April 7, 2015 at 4:32 pm

    Great tips! I especially like the comment about learning to use that crockpot. Man does that help to have dinner prepared when you get home. 🙂
    Tricia @ MissSippiPiddlin recently posted…Tuscaloosa Half Recap, Weekend Linkup and MoreMy Profile

    Reply
  17. Farrah says

    April 7, 2015 at 6:54 pm

    hehehe, Speedy McSpeederson…that sounds like the type of nickname I’d come up with for different people! 😛

    Not sweating the small stuff is definitely an important one, and I like the “what you can when you can” philosophy!

    Reply
  18. Farrah says

    April 7, 2015 at 7:06 pm

    I’ve been trying so hard to turn myself into a morning person. ;_; So far, I’m having no luck, but…will keep on working at it!

    Time management is definitely a great skill to have/work on–it makes such a huge difference!

    Reply
  19. April @ RunTheGreatWideSomewhere says

    April 7, 2015 at 7:42 pm

    Great tips! I love the It Takes A Village tip! And relaxing a little and remembering it needs to be fun!

    Reply
  20. Jessica S says

    April 7, 2015 at 8:59 pm

    I usually try to add myself an extra week or two as well because it gives you a buffer for those really bad weeks. I misjudged for this half marathon training cycle and will have my last long run during a week on call. Oops! Ah well – we’re women. We’re good at making it work, right? 🙂
    Jessica S recently posted…Tuesdays on the Run: Time Management & TrainingMy Profile

    Reply
  21. Char says

    April 7, 2015 at 9:26 pm

    You’ve hit the nail on the head with this post. I especially like The tip about coming up short. No plan ever goes to plan precisely. You just have to accept that and move on.
    Char recently posted…Easter 2015My Profile

    Reply
  22. Larisa (0to26point2) says

    April 8, 2015 at 1:46 am

    Love this advice! Planning is key.

    Reply
  23. jill conyers says

    April 8, 2015 at 6:26 am

    Awesome tips! A few took me way too long to learn 🙂 What you can when you can was life changing!
    jill conyers recently posted…Meb For Mortals Book ReviewMy Profile

    Reply
  24. Stephanie says

    April 8, 2015 at 8:45 am

    These are great tips for any type of training. I don’t foresee myself running 26.2 miles anytime soon but I can appreciate all the hard work that goes into training to do so. I really admire those who face the challenge!
    Stephanie recently posted…The TFM Favorite Fit Daddy: Malcolm PooleMy Profile

    Reply
  25. Deborah Brooks @ Confessions of a Mother Runner says

    April 8, 2015 at 8:56 am

    So not training for a marathon but I do find it essential to map out my workouts for the week to make sure I get everything in.
    Deborah Brooks @ Confessions of a Mother Runner recently posted…Spring Cleaning With PhenOh 7.4My Profile

    Reply
  26. Melanie says

    April 8, 2015 at 11:03 am

    Great tips and advice!! Between work, being a mom and training, I’m constantly juggling things around, sneaking runs in when I can and trying not to disrupt everyone else’s schedule too. I do the best I can! Thankfully, I have a awesome hubby and daughter who get it. That helps a lot!
    Melanie recently posted…Time Management While Race TrainingMy Profile

    Reply
  27. Sandra Laflamme says

    April 8, 2015 at 1:55 pm

    Such a great topic! It is always so hard to juggle it all especially with kids in the picture but somehow having a super packed schedule also helps me to stay on track even if it means squeezing in some late night workouts. Love your tips!
    Sandra Laflamme recently posted…It’s Tri Talk Tuesday! Talking about riding a bike trainer.My Profile

    Reply
  28. Rachel says

    April 8, 2015 at 3:13 pm

    Yes!! Yes!! Yes! I love the marathon mantra… you paid for this pain! 😉 LOL
    Rachel recently posted…Flexibility + Compromise = AdventureMy Profile

    Reply
  29. Carmy says

    April 8, 2015 at 4:16 pm

    I like Run When You Can. I used to just wait around for my BF to get off work now I use that time to run loops around the place.
    Carmy recently posted…April GoalsMy Profile

    Reply
  30. GiselleR @ Diary of an ExSloth says

    April 8, 2015 at 9:29 pm

    I’m not training for anything but I need these tips just to manage my life haha
    So thanks!
    GiselleR @ Diary of an ExSloth recently posted…23 Recipes for your extra BananasMy Profile

    Reply
  31. Toni says

    April 9, 2015 at 9:39 am

    I love this post sooooo much! I wish I read it before training for NYC. Marathon training is a constant sturggle at times but breaking it down the way you have makes it much less stressful!
    Toni recently posted…It’s Official, We’re MovingMy Profile

    Reply
  32. Sarah Jane @ The Fit Cookie says

    April 13, 2015 at 3:26 pm

    Thanks for the great tips, I am in need of some better time management strategies! I’m not training for a marathon but I want to train for a half later this year and I teach several group fitness classes so I have to schedule some time to practice routines and workout on my own too. It get’s busy! #wowlinkup

    Reply
  33. The Frugal Exerciser says

    April 16, 2015 at 10:54 am

    Great tips and I think you covered them all. I don’t train for events so I can’t offer anymore information but I do like “it takes a village” concept. #wowlinkup
    The Frugal Exerciser recently posted…Workout Wednesdays – WOW #75My Profile

    Reply
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Who is MCM Mama?
A slightly obnoxious mom and wife who loves good beer and running, who struggles a bit with depression especially in the winter and when running isn’t allowed, who’d rather go on a fun vacation than upgrade the kitchen or add a master bath, and has a minor addiction to the Marine Corps Marathon.

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